Governor races may have broad effects

WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite late rushes from some Democratic candidates, the Republicans look like shoo-ins to at least hold on to their current majority of 32 gubernatorial seats.

Democrats are on the cusp of regaining the corner office in California, where polls show Lt. Gov. Gray Davis leading Republican state Attorney General Dan Lungren. A Davis victory could help Democrats regain control of the U.S. House when states redraw their congressional district lines after the 2000 census.

But across the country, the Republican Party is well-positioned this year to protect its healthy hold on governors' suites.

In Texas, Republican Gov. George W. Bush is cruising toward a second term, already positioned as a top contender for his party's presidential nomination in two years. Another son of former President Bush, Jeb, holds a comfortable lead in the Florida governor's race.

Republicans say their governors will allow them to continue to spread the party's mantra of lower taxes, smaller government and tougher educational standards from coast to coast.

"I think it's good news for America's rekindled faith that representative government can work," said Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating. Like Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin and John Engler in Michigan, he is an incumbent Republican governor who is on track for easy re-election.

Democrats, for their part, remain hopeful that recent surges by their candidates will help them win back Republican seats in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Alabama and Iowa. And neither party is talking any longer about the Democratic slaughter predicted after word broke of President Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky.

"I think we are doing very much better," said outgoing Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, general chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Currently, Republicans governors hold 32 states, Democrats hold 17 seats and Maine Gov. Angus King Jr. is the lone independent. On Tuesday, 36 of those seats are up for election.

Of the governorships at stake on Tuesday, Republicans hold 24, Democrats have 11 and King is on the ballot in Maine.

Polls show the Republicans are headed for victory in states including Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Idaho and South Dakota. Democrats are picked to win easily in states including Alaska, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont.

But there can't be an election year without quirks, and there are a few in the gubernatorial bracket.

In Alaska, the Republican Party vainly asked a court to delay the state's gubernatorial election until questions about its candidate, John Lindauer, could be cleared up.

The party withdrew its endorsement of Lindauer last month after he admitted that most of his $1.7 million campaign fund was provided by his wife. The state Division of Elections said it had no plans to delay the election.

In Minnesota, the governor's race has turned into a three-way tussle, thanks to former professional wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura, the former mayor of Brooklyn Park.

Mounting a low-budget, Reform Party candidacy, Ventura has gotten support from more than a quarter of voters in pre-election polls.

That has caused disarray in what had been expected to be a head-to-head battle between Democratic Attorney General Hubert "Skip" Humphrey III and Republican Norm Coleman, the mayor of St. Paul.

In Hawaii, Democratic Gov. Ben Cayetano was in a tough race against Maui Mayor Linda Lingle. A Cayetano loss would mark the first time that Republicans have been in the Hawaii governor's office since 1962.